Storystorm

Yes, STORYSTORM is coming in January 2019. Registration will begin after Christmas. Subscribe to this blog (button in left column) to receive all the posts via email…or visit taralazar.com (the blog) daily.

What is Storystorm? It’s a month-long story brainstorming event.

Tired of watching novelists have all the fun in November with NaNoWriMo, I created Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) as a 30-day challenge for picture book writers. PiBoIdMo began in 2009 and was held annually every November.

But In 2017, PiBoIdMo was moved to January and the name changed to Storystorm to reflect a broader scope. Any writer eager to brainstorm ideas can now participate—professionals, amateurs, teachers and students.

The Storystorm challenge is to create 30 story ideas in 30 days. You don’t have to write a manuscript (but you can if the mood strikes). You don’t need potential best-seller ideas.

You might think of a clever title. Or a name for a character. Or just a silly thing like “purple polka-dot pony.” The object is to heighten your idea-generating senses. Ideas may build upon other ideas. Your list of potential stories will grow stronger as the days pass. Eventually, you will have a list of ideas to flesh out into concepts and premises in the coming year.

On this blog, daily posts by authors, illustrators, editors and other publishing professionals will help inspire you. By the end of the month, you’ll have a fat file of ideas to spark new stories.

Storystorm registration begins every year in late December and continues into the first week of January. On January 31, participants who completed the challenge are asked to take the Storystorm Winner’s Pledge stating they ended the month with 30 or more ideas. (It’s on the honor system. Participants do not have to post their ideas. In fact, I urge them not to!)

Writers who register and complete the challenge will be eligible for prizes:

Feedback from literary agents and editors

Original art by kidlit illustrators

Critiques from published authors and editors

Signed books

Bookish jewelry

Other cool writerly stuff

Storystorm is free and will continue to remain free for all who participate.

I only ask in return that you support my books in any way you can—purchase them, review them, and/or ask your library to carry them. My books make it possible for me to keep this event running.

[…] be sure to stop by Tara Lazar’s blog Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) and check out her PiBoIdMo 2010 Information Section. I promise you will be flabbergasted and subsequently delighted by the list of […]

Great, Mary. Glad to have you! Stop back on Halloween to sign up (you’ll have from then through the first week of November to sign up)! And then visit every day in November for a new inspirational post from picture book authors and illustrators.

I signed up for NANOWRIMO last year. The closer this thing gets, the more I am talking myself out of this. I am not ready for a long novel and my interests lie in the children’s realm. I ran across the PiBoIdMo button and have been trying to find out more information. With only a week until 1 November, I am at a loss as to what else I need to do. I’d love to join! This sounds like a lot of fun!

Watch for the kick-off post on Halloween. You’ll be able to officially sign up the first week in November. Then visit every day for a new post on inspiration and creativity from our guest bloggers. Jot down one new PB idea a day (you do not have to share these ideas with anyone publicly). Then you’ll have to take the 30-ideas-in-30-days pledge in early December to qualify for prizes.

Ah yes! A successful marathon requires intensive training. I’ll be sure to prepare with the proper gear by the time November comes- my handy-dandy notebook and pencil. Looking forward to logging in some mileage!
See you on the trails… Thanks for organizing this Tara!

Tara,
PiBoIdMo is the cuddly companion to the arduous stress of NanoWrimo. I’m looking forward to peeking through my imagination’s closet. Thanks for motivating us!
By the way…congratulations on Monstore! I was sold just by the description. Well done!

[…] participate in their own version of NaNoWriMo. Writer Tara Lazar spun off the NaNoWriMo idea into Picture Book Idea Month, which charges writers with the challenge of, well, of what the title says: coming up with a […]

Tara,
What a fabulous thing to do; inspire others on to greatness. I look forward to joining, especially since I am taking a leap of faith and leaving the day job to pursue my creative talents full time. This will help keep me on track in a fun and creative way. Thank you!

[…] participate in their own version of NaNoWriMo. Writer Tara Lazar spun off the NaNoWriMo idea into Picture Book Idea Month, which charges writers with the challenge of, well, of what the title says: coming up with a […]

Fantastic idea Tara. I have signed up for NaNoWriMo but I’ll also sign up for PiBoIdMo. I’ll let my whole writing network know about this in Australia and also include it in Buzz Words, my e-zine for the children’s book publishing industry.

Congratulations on your publication too. Sounds great – I’m sure it will be a wonderful success.

I thought I commented….but I don’t see me! So here I am again. Thanks for hosting this Tara- I can’t wait to get started. Being as I work in an elementary school library, you can bet I will be having my ears perked!

[…] PiBoIdMo is Picture Book Idea Month and, you guessed it, the notion is to come up with 30 ideas for a picture book over the course of the month. Hosted by Tara Lazar of Writing For Kids (While Raising Them), I think this is a brilliant idea for a challenge and may try to keep up in some sort of modified fashion. […]

Hi Brian. No, you do not have to submit your ideas. On December 1st there will be a 30-ideas pledge that you must sign, and it’s all on the honor system. Your ideas are yours to keep. The only people who have to share their ideas are the three grand prize winners who will send their 5 best ideas to a literary agent for feedback on which might be the best idea(s) to pursue as manuscripts.

WHAT a great idea…I always felt left out when all the novel writers in my writing group chattered on about November’s NaNoWriMo. THANKS for thinking of us! I’m EXCITED! Thank you Crave for the form too!

[…] Oh, and over at WRITE WILD, my own personal blog, I’m having a GREAT giveaway contest to celebrate my taking this course AND to celebrate my 100 followers! I am giving away TWO copies of the market guide published by ICL. One 2011 issue, and one 2010 issue of Book Markets for Children’s Writers. If you think you know your picture books, go comment on my blog post for 11-5-10. And come back on the 6th for an interview with Tara Lazar, the creator of PiBoIdMo! […]

[…] occurred to me that maybe at least one part of me now is possibly flaky. Kat is taking part in PiBoIdMo, a writers’ challenge that calls for picture book writers to record a certain number of ideas in […]

[…] I really think that this is a great idea. You can read more about PiBoIdMo at author Tara Lazar’s website. It is a great opportunity, plus it is free and it can only help. You have nothing to lose for […]

I am participating this year and have a question. If I get more than one idea on some days can the extra’s cover for another day when I seem a bit dry. Some of these concepts are easier for me to work with than others.

Just thought Id mention 🙂 You have ANOTHER published author following this thing and she happens to be a dear friend of mine: Dorina Lazo Gilmore 🙂 Google her name and PLENTY comes up! She has three children’s books published 🙂 Anyway, just thought Id let you know that you have a “secret” author following along! 🙂

I have missed this sign-up but would love to be reminded next year. I love all the information on your site and will link to it when I can from my blog. Great stuff. I have made a list for November even though I am to late to join. Picture books and early readers are where my heart lies. Thanks for sharing.

Hello! I am just checking things out about this site, looking and reading about how it works. I’m always interested in joining sites about meeting new Authors and illustrators, Writers. I’m another new Author of writing Children’s Books.

I did it!! Thirty ideas in 30 days. I don’t know that all of them will end up as a fully fleshed out story, but I’m at least working on expanding a couple and there will always be a resouce to return to when I’m stuck.

[…] I have been a very, very bad blogger. It was the end of October when the last edition of From the Family Bookshelf was posted. In all fairness, I was tied up in November with book tours and Picture Book Idea Month. […]

[…] How I Got My Agent for picture book writers is none other than Tara Lazar, the generous founder of PiBoIdMo (or Picture Book Idea Month for the uninitiated). Tara started PiBoIdMo as alternative to […]

I am writing an article that I hope will appear in the SCBWI Bulletin.
I would like to include a short paragraph about PiBoIdMo.
Would you please explain a little about the history of BiBoIdMo? What date did you begin? What inspired you to get this idea rolling? What have you learned from doing this? What has been your proudest moment while doing this? Why did you decide to get others to join you?
Please give me a list of your published books in case I get a chance to tell about them.
Thank you very much. Do something good for yourself.

[…] starting fresh due to my other favorite Twitter-based writing challenge for picture book writers, #NaPiBoIdMo. That lovely hashtag was brought to life by Tara Lazar’s own response to NaNoWriMo and it stands […]

[…] go with Beatrice and the Polar Bear, but it would also be fun to tackle my #25 story idea from Picture Book Idea Month – A New Home. It’s kind of like a Goldilocks and the Three Bears meets The Three Little Pigs […]

[…] Tara Lazar is one of those talented writers who help inspire other picture book writers to go a little out of their comfort zone to create great ideas for new stories that may lead to successful publication. Here are her answers to my questions about PiBoIdMo – Picture Book Idea Month, held in November of each year. The concept is to create 30 picture book ideas in 30 days. To win prizes for PiBoIdMo, you have to register on her blog: https://taralazar.wordpress.com/piboidmo2010/. […]

Hey Tara, I’m looking forward to it again this year. It was a real challenge and a lot of fun last year. A good little fire you lit under us all. I’m also looking forward to supplying some lovely sculptural paper prizes this year.

[…] PiBoIdMo. I already blogged about Picture Book Idea Month. The goal is to come up with 30 sound picture book ideas throughout the month of November and then to work on writing as many of them as possible within the coming year. This is the one I’m committing to this year. […]

[…] BIG month around here and throughout the blogosphere. Not only is National Novel Writing Month and Picture Book Idea Month going on, but another equally (if not more so) event is occurring for the first time […]

Wow! Day 28 and I still have more ideas! Who could have predicted there were so many seeds waiting to be harvested in November ! Many more than will fit into a 30 day marathon. What a terrific experience.
Now, on to selecting one of the strongest and writing a great book!

[…] are what the pep uses uses to smash the self-doubt back into it’s deep, dark cave. They are 31 Picture Book Ideas. This entry was posted on Thursday, December 1st, 2011 at 1:39 PM and is filed under Musings.You […]

[…] There were 300+ participants in the Picture Book Idea Month challenge on Tara Lazar’s blog https://taralazar.wordpress.com/piboidmo2010/. Those of us who successfully spawned at least one new picture book idea per day for the month of […]

[…] new to writing (picture books) this year, I don’t think one can do better than to participate in Picture Book Idea Month, launched by Tara Lazar coupled with Picture Book Month, headed up by Dianne de las Casas. The […]

[…] have a lot of writing to do this holiday season besides greeting cards and some PiBoIdMo https://taralazar.wordpress.com/piboidmo2010/ loose ends that continue to beg for attention. Although I do enjoy reading newsy family letters […]

[…] heard about Chris Baty’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) in November each year. In 2009, I thought why not have a system to encourage people to submit […]

[…] the perfect opportunity to choose twelve ideas from the list I came up with when I participated in PiBoIdMo in November 2011. It was wonderful-30 ideas in 30 days! And what an awesome 30 days. Tara Lazar […]

[…] my creative well. Whether it’s writing from the heart, following the artist’s way, or finding an idea each day for a picture book, using and replenishing my creativity has become a priority – instead of sitting at the […]

[…] children’s writers is getting out of control with calendar writing challenges. There’s PIBOIDMO, Picture Book Marathon, and NaPiBoWriWee, 12x12in12 Back in October of 2011, I piloted a prototype […]

[…] So without further ado, my most heartfelt thanks to: Children’s writer Tara Lazar, whose PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) got me out of a slump and into a creative mindset, and whose informative […]

[…] 12 x 12 in 2012 author, Bethany Telles, before 12 x 12 even started. She and I both participated in PiBoIdMo last year and in the MeeGenius Children’s Author contest. Needless to say, I was so excited […]

[…] the Picture Book Marathon (write 26 picture books in 28 days during the month of February), PiBoIdMo (the picture book writer’s answer to NaNoWriMo hosted at Tara Lazar’s blog), and Laurie Halse […]

Lynette Oxley here interested in entering my first PiBoIdMo while studying the Bachelor of Media Communications via distance education. I will also be studying in Semester 3 which commences in November so I’ll see how I go.

I think I joined – doing the work (with great pleasure) – however, do I need to leave a comment (via E-Mail? – my inbox gets quite full) – i check out the blog, but I do not receive the tips, etc. via E-Mail????? Help, please.

Heeeelp! Hi um..I joined..but now I’m confused. I started posting my idas on my blog and then tagging it PiBoldMo2012 but I have a horrible feeling I’m doing something wrong. I seem to be the only non expert posting anything. Am I supposed to keep my ideas to myself??? This is the first time I’ve done anything like this so a little guideance would be greatly appreciated. Tx

I did this last year. Just keep the ideas to yourself however sharing is not a no-no, after all these are only picture book ideas–little buds of characters, settings, snippets of plot–nothing in full flower and nothing to worry about someone picking where they shouldn’t. Hope this helps.

Hi, Tara — Even though I signed in as myself, your emails are going to my husband, Harvey Asher. Maybe because he, too, blogs at wordpress and it recognizes the computer? Anyway, I gotta be me, and I’m hoping you can switch me over to “Sandy Asher.” Thank you!

[…] is a challenge to work on 12 picture books over the 12 months of 2013 with a group organised by Tara Lazar she ran the PiBoIdMo I mentioned to you in a previous post. ( By the way the 30 ideas I was […]

[…] with the writing challenge guru, Tara Lazar. You know, the founder of that little challenge PiBoIdMo. I’ve heard Tara’s name tossed around writing circles for years and I’ve spent a hefty amount […]

[…] same lines is the challenge that inspired the creation of Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12 program, PiBoIdMo. Run by the fabulous author, Tara Lazar, this challenge began some time ago and has blossomed into […]

Hi Tara! I wanted to let you know that I am participating in Kathy Ellen’s “31 in 31” challenge and posting my picture book responses on my blog. To notify my blog followers of this project, I posted a link to your blog so they can learn more about PiBoIdMo, which is what I am preparing for. Just wanted to let you know! 🙂

Hi Tara, this challenge and it sounds fantastic! I’m a little bit confused about how this is going to work, but I can’t wait to find out. I’m actually an illustrator and not so much a writer, I hope that’s okay. 🙂